GM Truck, SUV Owners Lose OnStar Cabin Temperature Feature Thanks to Software Goof

Imagine buying a new GM truck or SUV and using an OnStar cabin temperature feature only to discover one day it is mysteriously gone? That’s exactly what has happened to thousands of owners and they are not happy.

What is going on?

I received an email from a frustrated owner who thought he was going crazy getting nowhere with his local dealership and OnStar customer service. 

He swore he had this feature and he used it. However, nobody would confirm it actually existed! Here’s his email:

“Hello, so I am not finding some information and you may not know either. But I used to remote start my vehicle and the cabin climate control would automatically set it to really warm or really cold to make the cabin comfortable before you got in. It has stopped doing so. I have read it could be an OnStar thing, but they deny it and the dealer denies that too. Some say it’s a sensor, an ambient thermostat somewhere. Do you know by chance? Or at least have some direction I can go for this?”

I had never heard of this and I couldn’t recall if I had used this software feature on the 2023 Silverado 1500 I bought either. I asked for more information.

“It is a 2023 Silverado 1500 LTZ. I’ve seen online this is happening to some people… I just don’t know what to do. And all my settings are correct. I’ve done your typical turn it off, turn it back on type of things even try installing the update and reinstalling it. I’m just not sure where to go from here. Especially since I just got done dealing with the 10L80 transmission valve body issue. Finally got that fixed.”

He continued to explain:

“What I found out, I talked to the dealer and I talked to OnStar. OnStar said they do not control this and when I ask the dealer they’re saying it is a sensor most likely. But I can’t be the only one having this problem then.

And I know it’s just a creature comfort thing. But it’s one of the reasons I bought the truck. And my model is more than capable of handling it. At least that’s what the dealer was telling me.”

Now I’m intrigued. A feature that was part of his buying reasons is now gone without explanation and people are guessing as to what has happened. 

He isn’t alone either. There are several threads on the OnStar.com forum with upset customers. 

Fortunately, I was able to find the answer to what happened and it isn’t a great answer for this owner.

OnStar Explains It Was A Software Goof

I reached out to OnStar and got an answer from Anna Yu, Director of Communications for Global Technology and Innovation. 

She said, the reason why customers had access to the cabin temperature feature was a mistake. 

“For a brief period, some mobile app users could view and interact with remote temperature controls, despite the feature not being supported by their vehicle and the command not functioning as intended,” Yu said. “The remote command for setting temperature was not available for the vehicle of the individual who submitted the inquiry if they were in a 2023 Silverado. We’ve addressed the UI inconsistency through a software update, and the remote command interface now accurately reflects vehicle capabilities.”

So, even though it worked for a brief period of time, OnStar is stating it should work for only those vehicles with that capability and the Silverado, for example from above, is not one of those vehicles.

What Vehicles Have This Feature?

This begs the question: what GM vehicles do have the cabin temperature feature.

First, this feature is standard as part of the OnStar Basics package and is $9.99/month for 2025 and newer vehicles. For 2024 and older vehicles, the entry plan includes remote commands and is $14.99/month, but not all vehicles have the cabin temperature feature.

Second, here is the full list of vehicles with this feature offered according to Yu:

If you have one of these vehicles and make the monthly payment, you can find the option to set the cabin temperature when using remote start. 

If you don’t have a vehicle on the list, even if that vehicle worked before, the feature is not available.